Tennessee Environmental Council

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY EXPANSION

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $500,000 TO THE TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL. SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL EXPAND THIS PROGRAM TO NEW COMMUNITIES AND BUILD LOCAL SUPPORT TO SUSTAIN THIS PROGRAM AS AN INTEGRAL PIECE OF TENNESSEE'S SOLID WASTE STRATEGY.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE HOSTING TWENTY RECYCLING ROUNDUP EVENTS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. THEY WILL COLLECT HARD-TO-RECYCLE MATERIALS LIKE MATTRESSES, TIRES, ELECTRONICS, SCRAP METAL, MEDICATIONS, ETC. THROUGH A DRIVE-UP/DROP-OFF EVENT. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR UP TO SEVENTEEN COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY WILL SHARE A TEMPLATE AND TIPS FOR COMMUNITIES TO HOST THEIR OWN RECYCLING ROUNDUPS.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE AN EXPECTED TOTAL OF 500,000 POUNDS OF MATERIALS RECYCLED. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE DETERMINING THE RECYCLING NEEDS WITHIN A COMMUNITY; PROVIDING RECYCLING EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS; BRINGING AWARENESS TO LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON THE COMMUNITY NEEDS; STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT; AND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MATERIALS RECYCLED INSTEAD OF LANDFILLED. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, VOLUNTEERS, RECYCLING PARTNERS AND RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TENNESSEE.

DESCRIPTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING UNDER SECTION 8001 OF THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ACT TO TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL TO ORGANIZE A SERIES OF 10 'EXTREME HOME CLEANUP' COMMUNITY HOUSEHOLD WASTE EVENTS IN MINORITY, LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME OR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN TENNESSEE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE MODEL OF EXPANDING THE NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF SUCH EVENTS STATEWIDE IN THE FUTURE. AT EACH EVENT, PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A BRIEF EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATION AND MATERIALS TO SHOW THEM WHERE MATERIALS MAY BE DISPOSED OF AND RECYCLED LOCALLY ANY TIME OF YEAR. THIS PROGRAM SERVES MINORITY AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TENNESSEE. SPECIFIC LOCATIONS TO BE DETERMINED DURING THE PROJECT PLANNING PHASE. ACTIVITIES: PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF A PROJECT COORDINATOR, SELECTION OF COMMUNITIES TO HOST 'EXTREME HOME CLEANUP' EVENTS, OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY LEADERS, DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND EVENT LOGISTICS, IMPLEMENTATION OF EVENTS, AND PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY AND EVALUATION. OUTCOMES: EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT ARE INCREASED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW TO PROPERLY RECYCLE, INCREASE IN COMMUNITY RECYCLING, REDUCED NUMBER OF DISTRESSED PROPERTIES, COMMUNITIES REPORTING CLEANER, HEALTHIER LIVING CONDITIONS, AND IMPROVED AIR AND WATER QUALITY INDICATORS. DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT ARE LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME OR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN TENNESSEE INCLUDING COMMUNITIES NOTORIOUS FOR LANDFILL ISSUES SUCH AS CAMDEN, DECATURVILLE, MURFREESBORO, NORTH NASHVILLE\BORDEAUX, AND DICKSON. SUBRECIPIENT: NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.

CREATING NEW POLLINATOR HABITAT AND POPULATIONS, SOCIAL MEDI COMMUNITY, AND ROBUST INVENTORY.

FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW THE TENNESSEE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL TO CONNECT CITIZENS WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. THROUGH COLL